


Falling on Deaf Ears

by Heavenly_Bodies



Series: Silence [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Disability- hearing loss, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-22
Updated: 2012-02-22
Packaged: 2017-10-31 14:33:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/345125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heavenly_Bodies/pseuds/Heavenly_Bodies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Something was going on with Merlin and Gwaine didn’t like not knowing what it was.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Falling on Deaf Ears

**Author's Note:**

> I mean no disrespect to anyone with direct/intense experience in these matters, I can only base this on my imagination and what little experience ‘ve had.

Merlin didn’t hear Gwaine’s warning, only felt the hard thump of metal against his back. He didn’t have the chance to so much as call out all the air was pushed from him with the first impact.

Gwaine rushed to Merlin’s side, pulling helms and plate from on top of him. “Merlin! Merlin, are you alright?” He was worried about the blood he could see running down his friend’s arm. “Merlin answer me!”

“Wha- Ow,” he raised his hand to rub his head, hissing at the sting in his arm.

“Gods, Merlin, you scared me. Didn’t you hear me call to you?” Gwaine shook his head. He grabbed Merlin’s arm, twisting it to see the wound- a clean gash along his upper arm. “You should have Gaius take a look at that,” he said, untying Merlin’s scarf and ignoring Merlin’s protests.

Merlin tried to knock Gwaine’s hands away; he could tend the wound himself, thank you all the same. “Gwaine, I can do it,” he told him.

Gwaine let go of Merlin’s neckerchief, resting his arms on his bent knee. “I don’t doubt that you can do it. I just thought you could use the help.”

Merlin didn’t answer just fought angrily with his scarf.

“Merlin?” he asked, reaching out for his shoulder when he didn’t answer.

“WHAT!?!” Merlin screeched, wrenching his shoulder out from the knight’s touch, and glaring daggers at him.

“Okay, okay,” Gwaine raised his hands in surrender and backed off, “just worried about you that’s all.”

Merlin’s shoulders lost some of their tension and he closed his eyes, he could feel tears building up behind them. “I’m sorry, Gwaine. I think I need to see Gaius,” he said as calmly as he could with the fear and panic boiling in him. It was hard enough getting hurt the way he did, because he couldn’t hear the metal creaking around him or Gwaine’s warning at least he assumed that was what Gwaine was on about, not knowing if that was what he was saying wasn’t helping his mood either.

Gwaine walked with Merlin to Gaius’, watching him closely as they went. He stayed while the old physician treated the cut. Gaius spoke little and when he did it was very carefully.

“There. I told you not to take on too much,” Gaius chided with a shake of his head. “Does Arthur know you were down there?”

Merlin rolled his eyes.

“Thought not.” Gaius huffed, ignoring Merlin’s withering gaze, and turned off to one of his shelves.

“Thanks Gaius,” Merlin said a bit morosely. 

When Merlin left to get a fresh shirt from his room Gwaine took Gaius’ arm, demanding, “What’s wrong with him, Gaius?”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s acting… oddly. He almost bit my head off when I tried to help him. That’s not like him. And he didn’t say a word on the way here just looked around like he expected to be attacked.”

Gaius’ face pinched, “I’m sure he will discuss whatever is troubling him when he’s ready.”

“So there is something.”

“Gwaine, I really can’t-” He was interrupted by the sound of Merlin’s boots clambering down the steps.

“Good as new,” Merlin chirped as he returned to the two men, seeming in a better mood than just minutes before.

Gaius unceremoniously cuffed Merlin across the back of his head.

Merlin shrunk down under the smack. “Ow.”

“Sometimes, Merlin, you _are_ an idiot.”

Gwaine snickered.

Merlin didn’t need to hear the words to know he was being reprimanded. “Sorry.”

The old man huffed. “You’d better be getting back to Arthur.”

“I need to straighten up the armoury.”

“No.” His tone and arched eyebrow warned against any argument.

With a sigh Merlin nodded.

“Gwaine, would you see Merlin back to the Prince’s chambers?”

Merlin’s eyes went wide. “Gaius!”

Again, he raised his eyebrow daring him to argue.

“Fine,” he snapped, stomping out of the room. He hated being treated like an invalid. It was his hearing that he’d lost, not his mind, so why did people keep treating him like a fool. Alright, he still had attacks of panic every now and then when he walked through the main halls, but he knew ways around the more populated walkways.

Gaius gave Gwaine a sad, imploring look.

He seemed to understand. Giving Gaius a quick nod, he took off after Merlin. “Merlin! Wait up,” he called.

Of course Merlin didn’t react, continuing to stomp his way towards Arthur’s rooms.

Gwaine easily caught up with him. “Merlin,” he tried again, grabbing his arm to stop him.

“Let go!” he growled, his eyes burning with a warning ring of golden fire.

“What the?” Gwaine jerked back and let go of Merlin’s arm. “What’s going on, Merlin?” he asked, folding his arms across his chest and glaring at his friend.

Once again Merlin tried to pull his emotions in, he knew Gwaine wasn’t trying to upset him, he didn’t even know. No one did. “Gwaine, it’s-”

“MERLIN!” Arthur came rushing up to the two men. “What were you thinking?” he growled, tapping two fingers against Merlin’s head.

“Sire, it was my fault, I distracted him.”

“I doubt that, Gwaine.” He took Merlin’s arm gently, “How bad is it?”

“It’s fine, Arthur, really,” he tried to pull his arm away.

“You shouldn’t have been down there,” he shook his head and pointed in the vague direction of the armoury. “You’re not ready.”

“Arthur.”

“Come on,” he said much more gently now that he knew Merlin wasn’t badly injured. “And before you say anything, I sent a couple of the squires to take care of the armoury.”

Merlin rolled his eyes. “Arthur,” he chastized.

“It’ll be good for them,” he replied. “Thank you, Gwaine. I’ll see he finds his way back.”

“Merlin?” Gwaine asked, ignoring Arthur’s surprising chuckle.

“Arthur, maybe Gwaine should come with us.”

Arthur’s eyes grew wide in surprise. “Are you sure?” He knew how sensitive Merlin was about his hearing, they’d agreed not to tell people just yet; Merlin wanted to prove he could manage on his own before telling anyone, so the fact that he seemed to want to tell Gwaine was a bit of a shock, but he nodded all the same. “Gwaine.”

“Gladly,” Gwaine said, relieved, something was going on with Merlin and he didn’t like not knowing what it was, nevermind the flash of gold he saw in the young man’s eyes.

Arthur took Merlin’s elbow out of habit, the physical contact helping Merlin focus on something other than the fishbowl the world had become around him, and led them to his chambers.

“Could we lock the door?” Merlin asked when they reached the Arthur’s room.

The unusual request passed with merely a questioning eyebrow from the prince.

Locking the door, Merlin sat at Arthur’s long table. “I’m sorry I got so angry,” he said to Gwaine. “It’s only, right now, I need to be able to do some things myself.”

Gwaine’s brow furrowed. Looking from Merlin to Arthur trying to figure out what he was missing.

“You’re going to have to speak plainer, Merlin- this is Gwaine,” his hands easily flowing from his mouth outward and then pointing to Gwaine.

Watching the strange exchange confused the knight even more. “Would one of you please tell me what’s going on?”

This was Merlin’s call and Arthur understood that having control over discussing the matter was as empowering to Merlin as surmounting any task he set himself.

Swallowing, he tried to moisten his suddenly dry mouth. “You know the accident?”

Gwaine snorted. “I’d hardly call an attempt on Arthur’s life an accident.”

“Gwaine,” Arthur warned.

“Sorry.”

“When I woke up something was wrong.”

Gwaine stood a little straighter the notion that something else had happened to his friend garnering his full attention.

“I haven’t been able to hear anything since I woke up,” Merlin’s voice was soft and sad as if telling someone else made it all the more true.

“Merlin?” Gwaine asked taking a step towards the young man.

Before the other man could reach him, Arthur was at Merlin’s side, squeezing his shoulder as tight as he dared.

“That’s why you didn’t hear me. You couldn’t. Gods, Merlin how can you keep this a secret?” he rattled off without considering that Merlin couldn’t hear a word he said.

“Gwaine,” Arthur said gently, tapping his own ear.

Merlin’s hand had snuck up to grip Arthur’s. He suddenly felt tired, exhausted to the core, and like a little piece of the world weighted upon him had fallen and was trying to crush him. All he wanted at this moment was to fall into Arthur’s arms and lose himself to the warmth and protection he offered.

Gwaine looked pained for a moment, “That’s why all the hands and Gaius…”

“Yes, and we’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone,” Arthur informed him meaningfully.

“He won’t,” Merlin assured even through the tension Arthur could feel building in him.

“One condition.”

Arthur turned about to glare at him, but a squeeze from Merlin’s hand stilled him. “And what would that be?”

Gwaine faced Merlin, “No more wandering around the armoury without someone with you.”

Merlin sighed, but nodded.

“Now that that’s settled.” Gwaine relaxed, smiling one of his playful smiles- the one that usually meant he was going to spend the night in the tavern and that Arthur would need to put an extra guard detail on to patrol the area around The Rising Sun. He grabbed Merlin’s free shoulder and shook it lightly, “Anything you need,” he nodded encouragingly.

“I know. Thank you.”

Smirking, Gwaine ruffled Merlin’s hair. “Oh, and once you’re up to it, you’re buying!” he tossed over his shoulder as he left.

Once Gwaine was gone, Arthur wasted no time in pulling Merlin up and closing his arms around him just in time to catch the broken sob against his shoulder.


End file.
